Method and apparatus for conducting multi-point electronic conferences

Abstract

A number of personal conferencing systems, each executing a personal conferencing application, are networked together in a peer-to-peer manner. Each personal conferencing application is provided with a multi-point control logic for contributing to the shared control of audio as well as video distribution among the conference participants. In one embodiment, the multi-point control logic of the various personal conferencing applications collectively enable audio and video to be distributed in a manner that dynamically takes into account the dialogue being engaged among the conference participants, e.g. the order in which the conference participants speak to each other.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A personal conferencing unit comprising integrated multi-point control logic that operates to cooperate with integrated multi-point control logic of at least a second and a third personal conferencing unit to collectively control audio and video distribution among the at least three personal conferencing units during a multi-point electronic conference between the at least three personal conferencing units. 
     
     
       2. The personal conferencing unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, the integrated multi-point control logic allows outbound audio on the personal conferencing unit to be multi-cast to a multi-cast destination address, when speech is present in the outbound audio, the multi-cast destination address being voluntarily subscribed to by the at least second and third personal conferencing units. 
     
     
       3. The personal conferencing unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, the integrated multi-point control logic allows a plurality of in-bound audio streams from the at least second and third personal conferencing units to be mixed together, and rendered. 
     
     
       4. The personal conferencing unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, the integrated multi-point control logic allows only a selected subset of the in-bound audio streams from the at least second and third personal conferencing units to be mixed together, and rendered, and allows the remaining in-bound audio streams from the at least second and third personal conferencing units to be discarded. 
     
     
       5. The personal conferencing unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, the integrated multi-point control logic allows outbound video to be multi-cast to a multi-cast destination address units if a user of the personal conferencing unit is speaking, the multi-cast address being voluntarily subscribed to by the at least second and third personal conferencing units. 
     
     
       6. The personal conferencing unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, the integrated multi-point control logic allows outbound video to be point-to-point transmitted to one of the at least second and third personal conferencing units if a user of the personal conferencing unit is an immediate predecessor speaker to another user of of one of the at least second and third personal conferencing units who is currently speaking, the address of the point-to-point transmission being the one of the at least second and third personal conferencing units whose user is currently speaking. 
     
     
       7. The personal conferencing unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, the integrated multi-point control logic further receives, holds and sends a video token that is being passed among the at least three personal conferencing units, with the holder of the video token being the primary video source for the multi-point electronic conference. 
     
     
       8. The personal conferencing unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, the integrated multi-point control logic allows outbound video to be multi-cast to a multi-cast destination address if the personal conferencing unit is the current holder of the video token, the multi-cast address being voluntarily subscribed to by the at least second and third personal conferencing units. 
     
     
       9. The personal conferencing unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, the integrated multi-point control logic allows outbound video to be point-to-point transmitted to one of the at least second and third personal conferencing units if the personal conferencing unit is the immediately preceding holder of the video token, the address of the point-to-point transmission being the one of the at least second and third personal conferencing units whose user is the current holder of the video token. 
     
     
       10. The personal conferencing unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, the integrated multi-point control logic passes the video token to one of the at least second and third personal conference units if the personal conferencing unit is the current video token holder, its user is not speaking, and a user of the one of the at least second and third personal conference units being passed the video token is currently speaking. 
     
     
       11. The personal conferencing unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, whenever the personal conferencing unit becomes the current holder of the video token, the integrated multi-point control logic holds on the video token for a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
       12. The personal conferencing unit as set forth in claim 10, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, whenever the personal conferencing unit becomes the current holder of the video token, the integrated multi-point control logic ensures a user of the personal conference unit has stopped speaking for a predetermined amount of time before passing on the video token. 
     
     
       13. A network of personal conferencing units comprising at least three personal conferencing units coupled to each other for conducting a multi-point electronic conference between the personal conferencing units, each personal conferencing unit having integrated multi-point control logic that operates to cooperate with multi-point control logic of the other personal conferencing units to collectively control audio and video distribution among the personal conferencing units during the multi-point electronic conference. 
     
     
       14. The network of personal conferencing units as set forth in claim 13, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, each integrated multi-point control logic allows outbound audio on its personal conferencing unit to be multi-cast to a multi-cast destination address if speech is present in the outbound audio of its personal conferencing unit, the multi-cast address being voluntarily subscribed to by the other personal conferencing units. 
     
     
       15. The network of personal conferencing units as set forth in claim 13, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, each integrated multi-point control logic allows a plurality of in-bound audio streams on its personal conferencing unit to be mixed together, and rendered. 
     
     
       16. The network of personal conferencing units as set forth in claim 15, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, each integrated multi-point control logic allows only a subset of the in-bound audio streams on its personal conferencing unit to be mixed together, and rendered, and allows the remaining in-bound audio streams on its personal conferencing unit to be discarded. 
     
     
       17. The network of personal conferencing units as set forth in claim 13, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, each integrated multi-point control logic allows outbound video of its personal conferencing unit to be multi-cast to a multi-cast destination address if a user of its personal conferencing unit is currently speaking, the multi-cast address being voluntarily subscribed to by the other personal conferencing units. 
     
     
       18. The network of personal conferencing units as set forth in claim 13, wherein during the multi-point electronic conference, each integrated multi-point control logic allows outbound video of its personal conferencing unit to be point-to-point transmitted to one of the other personal conferencing units if a user of its personal conferencing unit is an immediate predecessor speaker to a user of the one of the other personal conferencing units who is currently speaking, the address of the point-to-point transmission being the one of the other personal conferencing units whose user is currently speaking. 
     
     
       19. A machine implemented method for a personal conferencing unit to contribute to distributive control of audio distribution in a multi-point electronic conference, the method comprising: (a) during the multi-point electronic conference, allowing outbound audio on the personal conferencing unit to be multi-cast to a multi-cast destination address by integrated multi-point control logic of the personal conferencing unit if speech is present in the outbound audio, the multi-cast destination address being voluntarily subscribed by at least a second and a third personal conferencing unit of the multi-point electronic conference. 
     
     
       20. The machine implemented method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the method further comprises: (b) during the multi-point electronic conference, allowing a plurality of in-bound audio streams into the personal conferencing unit, from the at least second and third personal conferencing units, to be mixed together and rendered by integrated multi-point control logic of the personal conferencing unit. 
     
     
       21. The machine implemented method as set forth in claim 20, wherein (b) includes during the multi-point electronic conference, allowing only a subset of in-bound audio streams into the personal conferencing unit, from the at least second and third personal conferencing units, to be mixed together and rendered, and allowing the remaining in-bound audio streams to be discarded by integrated multi-point control logic of the personal conferencing unit. 
     
     
       22. The machine implemented method as set forth in claim, 19, wherein the method further comprises: (b) during the multi-point electronic conference, allowing outbound video of the personal conferencing unit to be multi-cast to a multi-cast destination address by integrated multi-point control logic of the personal conferencing unit if the personal conferencing unit's user is currently speaking, the multi-cast destination address being voluntarily subscribed to by the at least second and third personal conferencing units of the multi-point electronic conference. 
     
     
       23. The machine implemented method as set forth in claim 22 wherein (b) further comprises during the multi-point electronic conference, by an integrated multi-point control logic of the personal conferencing unit allowing outbound video of one of the at least second and third personal conferencing units to be point-to-point transmitted to the personal conferencing unit, the one of the at least second and third personal conferencing units being the one of the at least second and third personal conferencing units whose user was the last speaker. 
     
     
       24. A machine implemented method for a personal conferencing unit to contribute to distributively control video distribution in a multi-point electronic conference, the method comprising: (a) during the multi-point electronic conference, allowing outbound video of the personal conferencing unit to be multi-cast to a multi-cast destination address by integrated multi-point control logic of the personal conferencing unit if the personal conferencing unit is the current holder of a video token being passed among the personal conference unit and at least a second and a third personal conferencing unit of the multi-point electronic conference, the multi-cast destination address being a multi-cast address voluntarily subscribed to by the at least second and third personal conferencing units, and the current holder of the video token being the primary video source for the multi-point electronic conference. 
     
     
       25. The machine implemented method as set forth in claim 24, wherein the method further comprises (b) during the multi-point electronic conference, an integrated multi-point control logic of the personal conferencing unit allowing outbound video of one of the at least second and third personal conferencing units to be point-to-point transmitted to the personal conferencing unit, the one of the at least second and third personal conferencing units whose outbound video being point-to-point transmitted being the immediate predecessor holder of the video token. 
     
     
       26. The machine implemented method as set forth in claim 24, wherein, the method further comprises (b) during the multi-point electronic conference, passing the video token from the personal conferencing unit to one of the at least second and third personal conferencing units by integrated multi-point control logic of the personal conferencing unit if the user of the personal conferencing unit has stopped speaking, and a user of the one of the at least second and third personal conferencing units has started speaking. 
     
     
       27. The machine implemented method as set forth in claim 26, wherein the passing of the video token in (b) is performed only if the personal conferencing unit has possession of the video token for a period longer than a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
       28. The machine implemented method as set forth in claim 26, wherein the passing of the video token in (b) is performed only if the user of the personal conferencing unit has stopped speaking for a period longer than a predetermined amount of time.